Southwest Adds New International Airline to Partner Network

The carrier is joining forces with an Asian airline.

A Southwest Boeing 737-700 (Photo: Shutterstock | Darryl Brooks)

[ News ]June 1, 2025 1:36 pm ET

By Ryan Ewing

Southwest is adding a new airline to its list of global partners. In September, the Dallas-based airline debuted a partnership with Icelandair.

As first flagged by X user STL Aviation News, Southwest’s newest partner is Taiwan’s China Airlines. This new tie-up was announced via Southwest’s website on Sunday.

“As we continue our mission to bring more choices to our Customers, we’re thrilled to announce our newest interline partnership with China Airlines (CAL), a Taiwan-based carrier,” the airline states on its website.

According to Southwest, China Airlines passengers will be able to connect onto its flights from a handful of West Coast airports, including Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and Ontario, California.

A China Airlines Airbus A350-900 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)

Connections will be made available “later in 2025,” Southwest says, with service kicking off in early 2026.

“Keep an eye out for more details as we continue to develop our trans-Pacific airline partnerships,” the carrier added.

International Expansion

Southwest continues to grow its presence overseas with new partnerships. The carrier also joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) earlier this year, and applied for U.S. permission to serve more international markets.

“As we do think about adding, for example, long-haul international, that Open Skies application and joining IATA certainly helps those decisions. But we’re going to be thoughtful. We’re going to step through the strategy question carefully,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said during a recent investors conference.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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Author

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.
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